Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-09-24
DAILY HERALD.
EMMA WILLIAMS.
who Was Charged With the MUIR
der of DIR. Burdell.

who Was Charged With the Muir.
der of DR.. BurdelI.
Mrs. Emma Williams, whose deatl
occurred in New York City last Tues
day, was Mrs. Cunningham, who, ir
1857, was the principal defendant in
the trial in that city for the killing Of
DR.. Harvey Burdell, case which be.
came one of the cause celebre of the
Empire City.
DIR. Burdell, wealthy dentist OF
New York, resided at 81 Bond street
He owned the house, but rented it to
Mrs. Cunningham, who sublet him
apartments, and in time became his
housekeeper. The doctor was, on the
morning of the 31st of January, found
dead on the floor of his room. He had
received forty or fifty stabs. He had
evidently made desperate effort to
defend his life against his assassins, as
evidences of a terrible struggle were
seen in the wrecked furniture, with
slashes of blood on the walls and
pools of crimson gore on the floor.
The murders left no clew by which
to identify them, but strong suspicion
fell on Mrs. Cunningham and John j
Eckel, a boarder in the house. Both
were charged with completely in the
crime and put on trial for their lives.
Some singular testimony was produced
on the part of the defense during the
trial. There was nothing but circum-
stantial evidence to offer on the part
of the prosecution, and the intimate
relations existing between Mrs. Cum
v,inoho,, ovI fho Ianao oaI forr,,aI fbo
strongest link in the chain. To break
the force of this, it was claimed by the
defense-what had never been known
or suspected before-that DR.. Burdell
and Mrs. Cunningham had been pri-
vately married. Rev. DIR. Snodgrass,
a we'll known clergyman, had per-
formed the ceremony. The minister,
when placed on the witness stand,
swore that he had married her to
somebody; he could not positively de-
scribe the groom, but believed that
Eckel, her co-defendant, was the man.
The testimony on the part of the pros
ecution was not at all strong, and both
the defendants were acquitted.
MRS. CUNNINGHAM's SUIT.
After her release Mrs. Cunningham
brought suit in the Surrogate's Court
to establish her claim to DR.. Burdell's
estate, as his widow, and pretended
to be confined of child, which she
asserted was DR.. Burdell's. 1t was
proven by Oakley Hall, prosecuting
attorney, that this child had been
smuggled to her in basket from the
alms-house. She was defeated in her
suit and soon afterward went to San
Francisco.
Not long after Mrs. Cunningham's
removal to San Francisco she became
acquainted with wealthy mining
man, the owner of extensive copper
mines at Muleje, Lower California
He became smitten with the charms
of the attractive widow, and subse-
quently married her. But dissipation
and death soon broke the matrimonial
alliance. She was again a widow.
By the terms of the will of her last
husband she became the exclusive
owner of the property of which he
was possessed, including the copper
mines. They were supposed to be Of
great value, and she began to look
around for competent manager of
her estate. Her choice now fell on a
well-known mining superintendent, an
Englishman of commanding pres
ence, and the twain were soon united.
But her hopes of increased worldly
wealth were doomed to disappoint-
ment. Water flooded the mines, and
much of her means were exhausted
in procuring expensive machinery,
which failed to free the mines from
the aqueous fluid.
AT MULEJE.
Some three or four years ago she
sold her mining property at Muleje,
with several thousand acres of land,
to a syndicate of Boston capitalists,
and some twenty or thirty thousand
dollars was to be paid down. But the
tide had turned against her. When it
seemed that she was about to be we'll
rid of her costly elephant her plans
were frustrated. The agent of the
syndicate, who was sent to California
with funds agreed upon, to make the
transfer, appropriated the money and
left his principals and Mrs. Williams
to mourn. Since that time continued
efforts have been made by the couple
to dispose of the mine. One of the
main objects of their removal to this
city was to effect sale, but success
has not attended their endeavor. II
is due to truth to say that the last
marriage venture of the deceased was
apparently the happiest, as Captain
and Mrs. Williams have always ap-
peared to be most devoted couple
rs. f. Call.